Canada Post makes direct mail easier for small businesses

Canada Post has launched a new online tool that will allow small businesses to create and run a direct marketing campaign through a single application. Snap Admail has been developed with marketing firm Taradel, and is now available through Canada Post’s website.

Users can use it to create direct mail pieces, plan their target audiences, send the mailpieces for printing and then distribute them to their target markets.

Bill Gunton, the Canada Post vice president for marketing and commercial products, said the new application was aimed at firms who might not otherwise use the mail for marketing purposes.

“By providing an easy online marketing tool, we can help small businesses that may not have the time or resources to plan their next campaign,” he said.

Canada Post said Snap Admail will allow users to plan a direct mail campaign from a home or office computer, and receive 24-hour customer support.

The application offers a range of designs and templates for mail pieces, or allows users to upload their own designs for brochures, pamphlets, postcards or flyers.

Within the cost of the service, Canada Post will then print and distribute the mail pieces.

“Reliable”

The Crown Corporation claimed that direct mail response rates outperform email by 30 times, with 95% of Canadians opening their mail the day they receive it to make direct mail “one of the most reliable” forms of marketing.

The new application aims to make direct mail easy for the small business to use in a similar way to the US Postal Service’s Every Door Direct Mail service.

Virginia-based Taradel, which is working with Canada Post to support the new service, is a full-service marketing firm that already works with the US Postal Service under the Every Door Direct Mail banner.

Jim Fitzgerald, Taradel’s founder and chief executive, said: We’re pleased to partner with Canada Post to offer small business owners this one-stop solution. Snap Admail is an easy, inexpensive, and fast way for small businesses to produce quality direct marketing.”

Canada Post, which made a C$193m loss last year thanks to its declining mail volumes, delivers to 15.5m addresses.

The company’s domestic letter volumes declined by 4.8% or by 191m pieces in 2013 compared to the year before.

Promoting direct marketing is a key growth opportunity that Canada Post is now pursuing in order to restore financial sustainability. Direct marketing accounts for C$1.2bn, around 21% of Canada Post’s revenue in 2013.